The present invention relates generally to an improved solar heating system of the type in which incident solar radiation is absorbed on collector panels, transferred to a storage system, and then distributed as heat for a building, and more particularly it relates to an improved storage unit for solar heating systems. It was conceived or first reduced to practice in the course of or under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The utilization of solar energy for heating domestic and commercial buildings has been hindered considerably by the limitations of the storage systems available for collected solar energy. A storage system capable of releasing heat in a manner similar to a stove or fireplace at night and on cold, cloudy days would be highly desirable, thus encouraging increased use of solar energy.
In the prior art, solar energy in the form of heat has been stored in systems utilizing water and rocks separately and in combination, and in materials with low-temperature heats of fusion. In general, storage systems using rocks and/or water for storing the heat produced by solar energy are bulky and require large volumes of storing medium per unit of recoverable energy. Also, capital costs and maintenance for these storage systems are high. For example, rock-bed storage systems require constant care to maintain a sufficient dry environment to prevent microbe formation on the rock. Water-storage systems develop algea which is difficult to control. Storage systems of these types have seriously impaired the utilization of solar energy in the United States because of the problems associated with their use.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a storage system for solar energy capable of supplying heat for domestic and commercial buildings.
A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a storage system for solar energy with a large heat storage capacity per unit volume.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings.